The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Executive Committee adopted the term URM, “underrepresented in medicine” on March 19, 2004 to bring awareness to diverse racial and ethnic populations’ deficiency in scholastic representation.

 

Recognizing similar needs within the veterinary medical profession, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, hereby adopts a definition for underrepresented in veterinary medicine or URVM. This definition is intended to clearly identify populations historically underrepresented in the veterinary medical profession with an eye to providing context for a continuum of activities around recruitment, admission, retention, development and promotion of such individuals.

 

URVM are populations of individuals whose advancement in the veterinary medical profession has historically been disproportionately impacted by six specific aspects of diversity (gender, race, ethnicity, and geographic, socioeconomic, educational disadvantage) due to legal, cultural, or social climate impediments.

 

The AAVMC’s chief objectives for advancing this definition are driven primarily by objectives of its DiVersity Matters Initiative as well as recognition of increasing needs of various demographics within the veterinary profession.